Coleridge Way and South West Coast Path

Saturday 5th September 2020

During these few days that I had in the Exmoor National Park I had been walking along the coastal path that is part of the South West Coast Path and had completed about half the Exmoor coastline covering the distance from Combe Martin, in the west, to just after Foreland Point. This was my last day in Exmoor on this holiday and I thought I would go to the eastern end of the Exmoor coastline and walk along the coastal path from Minehead, but eventually I decided I would simply continue my trek along the South West Coast Path starting from my furthest point, just after Foreland Point. Leaving the Caffyns Farm campsite, where I had been staying while in Exmoor, I drove through the tortuous bends and steep roads of Lynmouth and up to the car park near Foreland Point, beside Barna Barrow. Crossing the road I took a bridlepath that gradually descends around Holden Head before plunging into the woodland at the bottom of the East Lyn valley. Three days before I had walked from Watersmeet, a short distance down the river from this point, along the course of the Coleridge Way, a long distance trail that runs from Lynmouth to Coleridge Cottage in the Quantock Hills. Now I resumed my trek along that trail following the East Lyn River upstream.

Initially it was rather overcast as I descended into the valley, but the sun soon came out with the woodland providing me with some speckled sunshine as I headed through the valley. After passing Rockford and Alderford I eventually reached Brendon where the path climbs the northern bank of the valley that had now widened and was no longer wooded. It wasn’t too long before the path started to descend again as I approached a sharp right turn in the valley where the valley narrows delectably through Ashton Cleave. Back down beside the river I was in awe of the surroundings but frustrated at not being able to take a good picture of it due to some cloud cover. The valley soon opened up again near Lorna Doone Farm and Malmsmead where the river splits into Badgeworthy Water and Oare Water. The Coleridge Way soon leaves the Oare Water and heads uphill, but I left the trail to follow a path through Derry Combe. Most of the way it seemed to be a good route, but before reaching the top I crossed a fence and found very boggy ground and no path so it was only by dragging myself through bogs, briar and steep slopes that I was able to reach the top of the combe.

Looking back I realised it would have been better to have climbed the ridge on the Coleridge Way and then branched off to the top of Derry Combe. From there the Coleridge Way heads over the main road and down the hill to the South West Coast Path, which is also what I was doing, but on a different path over Yenworthy Common. Soon I reached a path coming in from the right that is marked as being the South West Coast Path, but is an inland alternative and is not marked on my Harvey map of the route. As the skies cleared of the lingering cloud the path descended increasingly steeply through gorgeous woodland scenery to reach the official coast path. Turning left I proceeded along the wide track all the way back to my car but this was initially very dull with no views out to sea and on a tedious path. A steep climb up this dreary track exhausted and frustrated me as I toiled up the unrelenting slope until eventually the coast path came off the track after leaving me absolutely worn out. Not long after that the coastal path finally left the wide tracks behind to head off along fabulous, narrow paths that cling precipitously high above steep slopes that fall all the way down to the sea far below with stunning views across the Bristol Channel.

Unfortunately my view was often obscured by thick rhododendron groves that despite previous attempts to cut them back had returned as thick as ever. This fabulous path continued through gorgeous woodland above Glenthorne Cliffs until eventually I came out of the woodland beside the service road for Foreland Point lighthouse that I had climbed three days before. Once again, I left the coastal path, climbing up this road all the way to Barna Barrow where I had parked breaking one of the rules of circular walking. You shouldn’t park at the top of a hill because then you have to climb up to your car at the end of a long, tiring walk, but this is a rule that I break annoyingly frequently. This was an enjoyable walk with some lovely moments such as in the wooded valley and along the terraced path above Glenthorne Cliffs, but it was also very exhausting. I had finished the walk early, about two o’clock, because I had a long drive ahead of me, though it was disappointing that the weather was now good after poor weather had blighted most of my time in Exmoor. I had originally planned to spend more time in Exmoor, but that didn’t happen, so after just four days I had left plenty more to come back and see, which hopefully would not be too far in the future.

Holdstone Down and Great Hangman

Friday 4th September 2020

After failing to do my intended walk the day before, because my car wouldn’t start, now thanks to the A.A. I was able to drive to the Heddon valley and the Hunter’s Inn where I parked. I had hoped the rain of the previous day would be gone, but it was still persisting when I headed down the valley and joined the South West Coast Path once again and climbed ridiculously steeply out of the Heddon valley. The coastal path is very tiring with a lot of ups and downs to negotiate so that even though I wasn’t climbing any mountains it felt as if I had. As I toiled up Heddon’s Mouth Cleave the rain stopped and the sun came out making me think that I would be getting some good weather again, but my hopes were soon dashed as it clouded over. Eventually the terrain eased and I was able to enjoy the walk around the headland above Heddon’s Mouth passing Peter Rock before climbing to a fence with farmland on the other side. The path crosses the fence for a brief spell here due to erosion on the path above East Cleave, though it was clear that some people had still tried to walk on the cliff side of the fence, but this is so dangerously close to a very high, steep drop down East Cleave that it felt very scary for me, even from the far side of the fence.

Eventually I left the edge of the farmland and entered Holdstone Down where I found a gorgeous, colourful display of the yellow flowers of gorse and the purple flowers of heather with the green leaves of bracken mixed in amongst them. Unfortunately it started raining at this point so I wasn’t able to fully enjoy the moorland flowers as I skirted around Holdstone Down until the deep valley of Sherrycombe came into view and my heart sank at the prospect of another steep descent and ascent. With my knees complaining I dropped straight down the side of the valley before climbing, stupidly steeply, back up the hillside. This was really exhausting, though fortunately by this time the rain had stopped, so half way up I took off my waterproofs and struggled up the path slowly climbing Girt Down to the large cairn at Great Hangman. For some reason there was a gathering of a dozen men at the top, which made it difficult for me to keep my distance while going around them, but once on the other side I was able to head back down the hill with extensive views ahead of me that led all the way down to Combe Martin Bay.

I was walking along a low ridge above the sea cliffs to my right and farmland to my left that led me towards the prominent peak of Little Hangman. The coastal path doesn’t quite go all the way up to top, merely skirting close by, but I couldn’t resist the short, steep climb up to the top of Little Hangman where I had good views across the bay and back along the coast. Returning to the coastal path I followed it down very narrow paths where it would not have been possible to maintain social distancing while passing other people, but fortunately I only needed to do that where there was just about enough room. This brought me all the way down to the popular seaside resort of Combe Martin on the edge of the Exmoor National Park. The coastline beyond Combe Martin, outside of Exmoor, is not quite as spectacular without the high cliffs that characterise the stunning Exmoor coast so I was more than happy to turn around at this point and start heading back. After having my lunch I climbed steeply out of the village on a deeply gouged path with high earth banks onto a road that prolongs the climb up Knap Down until eventually the gradient eased and I rejoined the coast path on Girt Down. Unfortunately the deep valley of Sherrycombe was in my way and I had no way of avoiding that stupid descent and ascent again until finally I came off the coast path to head up to the top of Holdstone Hill.

Earlier, while on the coastal path, I had skirted around Holdstone Down, but now I was able to head straight up to the large cairn and trig point that marks the top of Holdstone Hill. On the far side of the moor I could see Trentishoe Down and my map marks the summit as Trentishoe Barrows so, not able to help myself, even though there is hardly any path to the top and the path I wanted goes nowhere near the top, I headed out across the heather down to the ancient burial mound. Since there was hardly anything to see there I soon turned around and headed back the way I had come until I could take the wide track that I should have been on across the southern slopes of Trentishoe Down gradually descending into woodland in Trentishoe Coombe. Near the bottom of the valley I came across the excellent path of Ladies Mile that serenaded me along the side of the valley before turning downhill to the bottom of the valley where I followed a path that took me back to Hunter’s Inn.

Although the weather improved on this walk after the mid-morning rain it remained overcast all day and was never particularly warm. The walk was very exhausting with having to steeply descend into and climb out of Sherrycombe twice and it had just not enthralled me for some reason. It is understandable that I didn’t enjoy the walk in the rain the day before but that doesn’t explain this walk and that is a shame as it is a lovely area.